Cone spool mounting adapter for a sewing machine

ABSTRACT

An adapter for mounting a cone spool on the spool pin of a regular home type sewing machine. The adapter has a truncated conical upper end portion that inserts into the lower open end of a cone type spool. There is an aperture in the body that slip fits onto the vertical pin on the sewing machine and a second aperture offset from the axis of the adapter to slip fit onto a horizontal spool pin of sewing machines so equipped. A slender rod like member is mounted on and projects upwardly from the adapter and terminates in an eyelet to guide the thread as it leaves the spool.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates generally to home type standard sewing machines and more particularly to an adapter for mounting a large cone type spool on consumer type sewing machines spool mounting pin including a thread guide carried by the adapter in order for commercial size spools to be used therewith.

[0003] 2. Background Information

[0004] Cone spool mounts are known for use in association with standard sewing machines as separate stand alone devices and by way of example reference may be had to U.S. Pat. No. 5,707,021 granted Jan. 13, 1998 to W. Bitts et al. In this patented device the spool support and thread guide are two separate spaced apart posts projecting upwardly from a base member. Another spool mount is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,528,171 granted Oct. 31, 1950 to A. Pehlilvanian. A stand for multiple cone spools is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,497,359 granted Feb. 14, 1950 to H. Isabelle Sr. A stand attachable to the sewing machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,873 granted Dec. 9, 1997 to Jai Yi Wu. In this latter patented device the thread from the cone spool does not pass through a guide. A sewing machine having a pin thereon for a cone type spool is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,003 granted Aug. 15, 1995 to T. Hashiride. In this sewing machine there is a pin, separate from the spool mounting pin, for a thread guide.

[0005] Standard home use sewing machines have a pin on the machine for mounting a small spool of thread and the pin maybe vertical as for example, illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,688,294 granted Sep. 7, 1954 to E. McCloud or horizontal as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,122,113 granted Feb. 25, 1964 to W. Edwards. These pins will accept the conventional small spool that has a small diameter hole through the spool for receiving the pin. Cone spools on the other hand have a large tapered, centrally disposed, hole and thus are not mountable on the small pin.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0006] A principal object of the present invention is to provide a cone spool mounting adapter for a standard sewing machine in which the adapter slip fits onto the spool mounting pin on the machine and has a thread guide on the adapter.

[0007] The present invention provides an adapter for mounting a commercial size cone spool on the spool pin of a regular home type sewing machine. A preferred embodiment of the adapter has a truncated conical upper end portion that inserts into the lower open end of a cone type spool. There is an elongated centrally disposed vertical aperture formed in the bottom or base of the body of the adapter that slip fits onto the vertical pin on the sewing machine. A second elongated horizontal aperture is offset from the vertical center axis of the adapter to slip fit onto a horizontal spool pin of sewing machines so equipped. A slender rod like member is mounted on and projects outwardly in the horizontal axis and curves upward at a ninety degree angle spaced apart from and in alignment with the body of the adapter and extending upwardly above the top distal end of the adapter body. The vertical portion of the rod may bend at a ninety degree angle or curve at ninety degrees in order that the distal end of the rod is disposed directly over the center of the adapter and terminates in an eyelet to guide the thread as it leaves the spool.

[0008] In an alternate embodiment of the adapter includes a cylindrical top portion having a reduced diameter extending from the top of the conical body of the adapter forming a circular step defining a support surface for supporting a spool and a spool pin or rod extending vertically upward therefrom for extending into the cylindrical bore of spools having a cylindrical body.

[0009] More particularly, the present invention defines an adapter for mounting a cone spool on a regular home type sewing machine which incorporates a pin for a conventional small spool of thread. A preferred embodiment of adapter comprises a body member having an upper end portion for insertion into the open bottom end of a cone type spool. The adapter includes means on the body member for limiting the amount by which such end portion projects into the spool. An aperture in the body member slip fits onto the pin on the sewing machine and positions the cone spool in a vertical orientation on the sewing machine and a thread guide mounted on the body member. The thread guide is defined by a slender rod like member projecting from the body member and terminating in an end located beyond an upper end of a cone spool when the latter is mounted on the adapter. The terminal end portion of the thread guide has an eyelet thereon through which the thread passes as it leaves the spool. The eyelet is portioned over the center of the spool.

[0010] Optionally the adapter set forth heretofore includes an upper body end portion that is tapered. The upper body end portion and the aperture are coaxial.

[0011] Another option provides that the adapter includes an aperture having a longitudinal axis disposed transverse to and laterally offset from the axis of a cone spool mounted on the adapter.

[0012] Another option provides that the adapter defines the body end portion as including a truncated conical portion.

[0013] Another embodiment of the adapter comprises an elongate body member having a lower portion and an upper truncated conical portion, the truncated conical portion being sized to mate with an open bottom end of a cone spool to support the same. An aperture in the lower portion of the body slip fits onto a spool pin on a standard sewing machine and supports the cone spool on the adapter in a vertical orientation on the machine. A thread guide comprising a slender member is anchored at one end thereof to the lower portion of the body member and terminating in an opposite free outer end and means adjacent the free outer end to guide thread on the cone spool as it leaves the spool. The thread guide is located above an upper end of a cone spool mounted on the adapter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] A better understanding of the present invention will be had upon reference to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views and wherein:

[0015]FIG. 1 is an oblique elevational view of the present invention showing a sewing machine with a cone spool thereon, mounted the vertical spool pin;

[0016]FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 but illustrating the adapter on a sewing machine having a horizontal spool pin;

[0017]FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the cone spool adapter of the present invention with the cone spool mounted thereon;

[0018]FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the adapter on a larger scale without the cone spool thereon;

[0019]FIG. 5 is a bottom view of FIG. 3;

[0020]FIG. 6 is an elevation view of he adapter of FIG. 4 showing a spool peg extending from the center of the top surface of the body;

[0021]FIG. 7 is an alternate embodiment of FIG. 4, wherein the upper top portion of the body is conical shaped without formation of a shoulder;

[0022]FIG. 8 is an elevational view of the adapter embodiment of FIG. 7 including a spool peg;

[0023]FIG. 9 is a rear elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 8;

[0024]FIG. 10 is an oblique elevational view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 showing a sewing machine with a cylindrical spool thereon, mounted the vertical spool pin; and

[0025]FIG. 11 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 10 but illustrating the adapter on a sewing machine having a horizontal spool pin and wherein the adapter includes a spool pin extending from the top of the adapter for holding a spool having a smaller adapter bore.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Referring to the drawings illustrated in FIGS. 1-11 is a cone spool adapter 10 of the present invention mounted respectively on a sewing machine 20 having a vertical spool pin and a sewing machine 30 having a horizontal spool pin. A cone spool 40 of thread is illustrated mounted on the adapter. The cone spool adapter 10 comprises a base 50 and a thread guide 60 mounted on the base.

[0027] The base 50 is an elongate body and having a first centrally disposed aperture or recess 51 that slip fits onto the vertical spool pin on the sewing machine 20 and a second aperture or recess 52 that slip fits onto the horizontally disposed spool pin 31 on the sewing machine 30. Obviously only one or the other of these two apertures is used depending upon the machine at hand. Although aperture 51 and 52 are of a selected length extending into the adapter 10 body, aperture 52 can extend through all of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-11 forming a throughbore, and aperture 51 can extend through the embodiments shown in FIGS. 15, 7 and 10 forming a throughbore therein.

[0028] More particularly as illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, the aperture 51 and a truncated conical upper end portion 53, suitably sized and tapered to receive the lower end of the cone type spool 40, are coaxial. A shoulder 54 determines the extent to which the adapter projects into the open bottom end of the cone spool. The aperture 52 is located below the shoulder 54, and it is perpendicular to the aperture 51 and it is offset from the axis A of the base 50 body.

[0029] The thread guide 60 comprises a rod 61 anchored at one end to the base 50 and projects therefrom terminating at the other end in an eyelet 62 trough which the thread passes as in leaves the spool during a sewing operation. The eyelet maybe a hole through the rod providing a closed eyelet as illustrated or a slot into the aperture may be provided to facilitate threading.

[0030] The rod 61 has a first portion 63 that is tight press fit into a recess therefor in the adapter body and projects laterally from the base. A second portion 64 extends vertically upwards to a position beyond the free upper outer end of a cone spool 40. A third upper end 65 in which the eyelet is located extends over the cone spool. Optimal takeoff performance is achieved if the eyelet is positioned over the center of the spool.

[0031] In an alternate embodiment of the adapter as shown best in FIG. 7, the body gradually tapers into a conical shape to coaxially receive a conical shaped spool.

[0032] In yet another embodiment, a cylindrical top portion having a reduced diameter extends from the top of the conical body of the adapter forming a circular shoulder defining a support surface for supporting a spool and a spool pin or rod 66 extends vertically upward therefrom for extending into the cylindrical bore of spools having a cylindrical body and small throughbore as shown in FIGS. 8-11.

[0033] The foregoing detailed description is given primarily for clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom, for modifications will become obvious to those skilled in the art based upon more recent disclosures and may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims. 

We claim:
 1. An adapter for mounting a cone spool on a regular home type sewing machine having a pin for a conventional small spool of thread, said adapter comprising: a body member having an upper end portion for inserting into a cone spool having an open bottom; a body member including a vertical aperture for cooperatively engaging a pin on said sewing machine for supporting said cone spool in a vertical orientation on the sewing machine; and a thread guide mounting on said body member.
 2. The adapter of claim 1, wherein said thread guide comprises a slender elongated member projecting from said body member and terminating in an end located beyond said upper end portion of said cone spool mounting on said adapter, said terminal end portion having an eyelet thereon through which the thread passes as it leaves said spool cone.
 3. The adapter of claim 2, wherein said eyelet is disposed above the center of said cone spool.
 4. An adapter as defined in claim 1 wherein said upper body end portion is tapered for cooperatively engaging a cone spool having a tapered open bottom.
 5. The adapter of claim 1, said body including an aperture formed therein along a longitudinal axis disposed transverse to and laterally offset from the axis of said cone spool mounted on said adapter.
 6. The adapter of claim 1 wherein said body end portion is a truncated conical portion.
 7. The adapter of claim 1, including a pin mounting on a top surface of said body.
 8. An adapter comprising an elongate body member having a lower portion and an upper truncated conical portion, said truncated conical portion being sized to mate with an open bottom end of a cone spool to support the same, an aperture in the lower portion of said body that slip fits onto a spool pin on a standard sewing machine and support the cone spool on the adapter in a vertical orientation on said machine and a thread guide comprising a slender member anchored at one end thereof to said lower portion of said body member and terminating in an opposite free outer end and means adjacent said free outer end to guide thread on said cone spool as it leaves the spool, said thread guide being located above an upper end of a cone spool mounted on the adapter. 